SandyL’s Comments (group member since May 11, 2015)

SandyL’s comments from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.

Completion Post


Book: Fall Into Temptation by Lucy Score
Date: 11/26/24
Pages: 411

Bonus
>400 pgs
pub 2016

Mini
Feed - Fall
Prune - Fall = all
Harvest - Fall
pasta - pg 105 "digging into her pasta.."
carrots - pgs 133 "..some cucumbers and carrots.."
pumpkin - pg 152 "Carved pumpkins entered in the contest.."
onion - pg 251 "..deep-fried onions into the night air.."
lettuce - pg 222 "Gia shredded lettuce..."
Vinegar - pg 154 "Gia's vinegar-sodden dish..."

Spell-out
F - title
L/S - author
C - Carter

Completion Post


Book: The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
Date: 11/24/24
Pages: 635

Bonus
>600 pages
pub 1844

Mini
Mulch - THree
Weed/Feed - ThrEE
Plant - Three
Germinate - Musketeers
Violin - pg 231 "...finally twenty violins had been called in..."
Bread - pg 303 "..we pass him bread..."
lamb - pg 293 "...a leg of lamb with garlic..."
Pages - 635 pages (6 and 3)
Characters spend time in the woods - pg 249, pg 275, pg 400

Spell-out
R - Cardinal Rinchelieu
L - King Louis XIII
C - Constance
F - John Felton

Completion Post


Book: The O Zone by Kelly Jamieson
Date: 11/24/24
Pages: 309

Mini
Mulch - THe
Water - H00 in title
Piano - pg 58 "..gesture toward the grand piano..."
potato - pg 65 "I made the potatoes you love.:
rice - pg 145 "we eat bowls of brown rice."
bread - pg 101 "..a bread pudding..."
beef - pg 107 "He digs into a beef stew."
fish - pg 107 "Try it on your fish"
squash - pg 179 "I'm going to make that squash recipe."
cucumber - pg 169 "I eat another cucumber sandwich"
Lobster - pg 123 "...grilled garlic shrimp and lobster tails.."
character - musician (artist)

Completion Post


Book: Whiskey Chaser by Lucy Score and Claire Kingsley
Date: 11/23/24
Pages: 388

Bonus
pub 2018

Mini
author initials in Citybreak (Claire Kingsley)
title,author,series in Niblings (series Bootleg Springs)
Sky on cover
Mulch - WHiskey

Spell-out
L/S/C - authors
M - Devlin McAllister
O - Opal

@Sammy - you would probably go crazy at the used bookstore not far from my house:

https://www.iliadbooks.com/

Completion Post


Book: I Suck at Girls by Justin Halpern
Date: 11/17/24
Pages: 197

Bonus
pub 2012

Spell-out
I - title

I was hoping to get one more done, but it's not going to happen. I think I have two books on the overflow you can use if needed and I have another shortie I can post if needed as well - lmk

Sammy wrote: "SandyL wrote: "Completion Post


Book: Turkey Day Murder by Leslie Meier
Date: 11/22/24
Pages: 318

Bonus
pub 2000

Mini
germinate ..."

done

Completion Post


Book: Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley
Date: 11/23/24
Pages: 540

Bonus
>400 pgs
pub 2012

Mini
Tyra works as an office manager
germininate - motor/cycle
potatoes - pg 138 "...meat and potatoes..."
bread - pg 244 "..homemade garlic bread.."
beef - pg 71 "roast beef and swiss..."
fish - pg 221 "I had bigger fish to fry."
beans - pg 214 "...potatoes and green beans.."
apple - pg 68 "..the apple of my cheek..."

Spell-out
A - ALN
E - Eloise
L - Lainey
N - Lee NIghtingale
G - Gwen
P - Pipe

Completion Post


Book: Turkey Day Murder by Leslie Meier
Date: 11/22/24
Pages: 318

Bonus
pub 2000

Mini
germinate - murder
pest control -TUrkey
prune - tur/key
piano - pg 235 "the tinkling of piano keys."
potato - pg 38 "..she forgot the mashed potatoes."
rice - pg 92 "It's how you eat the rice."
squash - pg 231 "..tiny pumpkins and squash...."
lobster - pg 251 "..stink of lobster bait.."

Spell-out
L - AFN
C/N - Curt Nolan
E - Ellie
F - Jonathan Frankie
A - Andy

Completion Post


Book: Law Man by Kristen Ashley
Date: 11/21/24
Pages: 535

Bonus
>400 pgs
pub 2012

Mini
bread - pg 96 "..pancake mix, eggs, bread and..."
chicken - pg 22 "..cut up another chicken breast."
fish - pg 222 "Billie's decreed she wants fish sticks."
pg 28 "..makin' your baked beans.."

Spell-out
L - title
A - ALN
P - Mr Pearson
N - Lee Nighingale
E - Elvira
G - Gwen

Completion Post


Book: The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Date: 11/20/24
Pages: 174

BOM
Day1
Day2
Day3
Day4

Bonus
pub 1920

Mini
Feed: double letter in Affair
Prune - Affair = fair
beef - pg 122 "well-balanced English beef and brawn."
lamb - pg

Spell-out
A/C - author
P - Hercule Poirot
E/I -Emily Ingelthorpe
L - Lawrence

DQs Day 4
Ch 11 to 13

14. How do you like Poirot's style of revealing what happened? Do you enjoy reading whodunnit mysteries?
I love Hercule Poirot and his methods. I do enjoy reading whodunnits.

15. The mystery has been unraveled and we now know what happened to Mrs. Inglethorp. Have you guessed who it was or were you surprised?
Not surprised, but I had no idea who it might end up being.

16. Is there anything you would have changed about the narrative? Something you didn't like? If so, here's your place to rant :)
No

17. If you haven't already, would you consider picking up another Hercule Poirot book or any other of Agatha Christie's works?
Yes, I have read many Poirot books and enjoy them, as well as other AC books.

DQs Day 3
Ch 8 to 10

10.) Any guesses about "find the extra coffee cup and you can rest in peace"? Does that fact Lawrence found it indicate guilt or innocence do you think?
I don't think it has any meaning who found it

11.) With books as old as this, some language/terms just do not age well and can be jarring to randomly come across in the text. Should language like this be censored/edited to match less offensive terms of the times (though not sure there is a correct way to say a lady dressed up in blackface). Or should they be left as is and used as a point of discussion on race/sexuality/class/gender/etc?
They should be left as is. We need reminders that things have changed to be more tolerant and inclusive.

12.) Lots happening in the section, arrests abound! Do you think John was arrested for his step mother's murder or for some other reason like Dr. B?
I never know with AC mysteries -- there is always a surprise and if it's not the end of the book yet, then there are still mysteries to uncover.

13.) What do you think about our narrator and giver or random marriage proposals, Hastings?
I like this first introduction to Hastings

DQs Day 2
Ch 5-7

6. Poirot is concerned because Cynthia does not take sugar in her coffee and calls back to when he tasted all the coffees, but it’s never expanded upon. We later find out that the poison was likely administered in coffee and that it has a bitter taste that coffee could mask. Do you have any theories as to why Poirot put such importance on “Cynthia does not take sugar”?
None at all

7. Witnesses have testified to overhearing an argument between Mr & Mrs Ingelthorp the day she was murdered — but Mr Ingelthorp claims they are mistaken. Do you believe he is truly the one who was having the argument, or do you have any other suspicions? Poirot certainly thinks he is innocent and claims to be able disprove the other claim (about him buying the poison) — does that sway you at all?
It's never the most obvious person and Mr Poirot always figures it out - if he thinks Mr Ingelthorp is innnocent of the crime, then he is.

8. Most people seem to believe Mr Inglethorp is guilty (ESPECIALLY Evie), while Lawrence seems to believe the death came by natural causes, and Mr. Inglethorp doesn’t seem to have any theories at all except to believe it was murder but never pointing fingers at a suspect. I have to admit, I expected more finger-pointing from this group! Have any characters’ reactions so far stood out as peculiar to you?
None of them seem to care much that she has died.

9. One of my favorite things about mysteries is trying to figure out what happened before it’s revealed. Are you trying to solve the murder, or would you prefer to be surprised by the eventual reveal? Do you feel like you’re usually good at solving the mysteries, or do they evade you?
Some books I can figure it out, but rarely in AC mysteries

DQ Day 1
Chapters 1 - 4


1. The first few chapters set the scene for this (first) instalment of Hercule Poirot. What do you make of the various characters we are introduced to? Especially "Alfred dearest" whom everybody seems to dislike. Do you agree with Mrs Howard that they're all only interested in the money? Do you agree with Hastings that they're all somewhat suspicious?
I think most of them are only interested in money and the rest are just unpleasant people

2. A murder has occurred! Anyone want to venture a guess at this stage as to who has done it? And was it really death by poison? Or is Dr. Bauerstein's expertise in the matter and the fact that Mrs. Inglethorp suffered from severe convulsions in front of practically the entire household merely a red herring?
I have read this before, but can't remember. In AC mysteries, it's usually not the person I suspect!

3. There was an argument the day before the murder between the late Mrs. Inglethorp and an unknown person, potentially Mr. Inglethorp. What might this have been about?
Money or the affair

4. What might Mrs. Inglethorp not have wanted to show Mary Cavendish that resulted in the latter feeling somewhat peeved?
Probably her newest will

5. Are you enjoying the narrative so far? I assume I don't have to ask if this is your first Christie book? It seems like most everyone has read at least one of her books, or has seen an episode or two of the tv adaptations.
It's hard to keep all the characters straight. I do love Hercule Poirot and how he toys with Hastings

Completion Post


Book: Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Date: 11/19/24
Pages: 206

Bonus
pub 1999

Mini
tagged Bangladesh 6x
Lobster - pg 124 "..a paper bag with a smiling lobster drawn..."

Spell-out
I - title
L - ALN
C - Dev Connolly
E - Elliot

Completion Post


Book: Rock Chick Revenge by Kristen Ashley
Date: 11/19/24
Pages: 594

Bonus
>400 pages
pub 2011

Mini
pest control - cHIck
mulch CHick
harvest - rock
plan - chick
germinate - revenge
Piano - pg 309 "including guitar riffs and piano of The Doobie Brothers..."

Spell-out
A - ALN
L - Luke
I - Indy
N - Noah

Completion Post


Book: Death, Taxes, and a Skinny No-Whip Latte by Diane Kelly
Date: 11/19/24
Pages: 352

Bonus
pub 2012

Mini
MC works in taxes - works for the IRS as a tax investigator
Plot revolves around white collar crime - money laundering
Letters TAXES in title
Coffee-table - pg 30 "..threw the pizza box on the coffee table..."

Spell-out
E/G - Ernestine Griggs
N/P - Nick Pratt
A - Ajay
C - Carson

Completion Post


Book: Napalm & Silly Putty by George Carlin
Date: 11/17/24
Pages: 269

Bonus
pub 2001

Mini
Plant - Silly
Feed - Silly - LL
Prune - Putty - Put
Piano - pg 73 "...like he's playing the piano."

Spell-out
N - Title
G/C - Author name

**overflow**